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Making a Mark
Alan Davidson
I WAS having a rollick around social media looking for ideas for stories. I'm always good to have a look at a video or two to see what talent there is around. Having been a media publicist for a great part of my life, I look at the talent before I look at what they do or have done.
This time I was looking at a fresh face talking to (mainly) kids about painting. But talking to kids about painting like Vincent van Gogh? I thought this isn't going to go well. But local man Mark Rusic presents a charm without that over-done commercial spin. It didn't have the feel of being over-edited to make it look "professional". It was presented as natural as you like and I could see why kids, and their parents, would be attracted to him and his art.
Mark has a business called Iconic Colours and his art-teaching videos (just a part of the overall business) have been on Moonee Valley Libraries' most watched list.
This time I was looking at a fresh face talking to (mainly) kids about painting. But talking to kids about painting like Vincent van Gogh? I thought this isn't going to go well. But local man Mark Rusic presents a charm without that over-done commercial spin. It didn't have the feel of being over-edited to make it look "professional". It was presented as natural as you like and I could see why kids, and their parents, would be attracted to him and his art.
Mark has a business called Iconic Colours and his art-teaching videos (just a part of the overall business) have been on Moonee Valley Libraries' most watched list.
MCG
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Parliament House
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Flinders St
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I also watched a short general promotional video that Mark made and I just had to ask him a questions or two ...
You say in your video that you had a rocky start. How so?
I am blessed today by my closeness with my father and our regular conversations over the past decades, but that was not always the case. I had a major fall out in my relationship with him when my parents broke up, in my early teens. My father was an artist so out of spite and rebellion I also suppressed my creative side and chose an engineering degree instead. However, one day, I realised the bitterness was hurting me so I forgave my dad and made an effort to talk; Amazingly, soon after that my mother and father started seeing each other again, and till this day! From that time on my creative side blossomed and we eventually became really close to my father.
My wife felt we needed to put my art to the test by selling it in various places. I sold hundreds of paintings over the past 20 years and found remarkable consistency from buyer comments from all over the world. I always recall one of the first in our testimonial book: “Mark Rusic’s colour palette will bring the Australian sun to any place on earth” (New York).
I also recall being asked to paint my first commissioned artwork for a Swiss man I met when I was selling paintings at what was then known as the Suzuki Night Market. He lives by Lake Geneva. He asked me to paint his passion of racing and cycling in the alps, asking for a riding-movement theme. The painting, below, became, in his words, the centrepiece of his display.
You say in your video that you had a rocky start. How so?
I am blessed today by my closeness with my father and our regular conversations over the past decades, but that was not always the case. I had a major fall out in my relationship with him when my parents broke up, in my early teens. My father was an artist so out of spite and rebellion I also suppressed my creative side and chose an engineering degree instead. However, one day, I realised the bitterness was hurting me so I forgave my dad and made an effort to talk; Amazingly, soon after that my mother and father started seeing each other again, and till this day! From that time on my creative side blossomed and we eventually became really close to my father.
My wife felt we needed to put my art to the test by selling it in various places. I sold hundreds of paintings over the past 20 years and found remarkable consistency from buyer comments from all over the world. I always recall one of the first in our testimonial book: “Mark Rusic’s colour palette will bring the Australian sun to any place on earth” (New York).
I also recall being asked to paint my first commissioned artwork for a Swiss man I met when I was selling paintings at what was then known as the Suzuki Night Market. He lives by Lake Geneva. He asked me to paint his passion of racing and cycling in the alps, asking for a riding-movement theme. The painting, below, became, in his words, the centrepiece of his display.
My creative side expanded rapidly. I grew in confidence and we self-published a book called Iconic Melbourne, a collection of my paintings, photography and poetry with creative comments throughout. It celebrates Melbourne while highlighting the iconic themes behind the icons and relevance to our lives today. Shortly after, I was called upon by Dymocks Camberwell as a best-selling, guest author, where I've been invited to talk many times since 2014.
I published a second book three years after the first in 2017, called Iconic Animals of Australia - With a Voice to Release Your Giant Potential Within. My books are now sold around the country.
I've had over 20 years of Life Coaching experience in Pastoral-Community work and have seen many lives transformed. My writing and art have launched me as a motivational speaker into Education, Community and Corporate sectors.
This year, my wife and I felt we needed to carve a niche for ourselves, calling our business 'Iconic Colours'. Our aim is to boost people's true colours and potential. We do this by applying strategies to inspire people’s creativity, productivity and dreams in my Talks and Online Art Tutorial Workshops.
I published a second book three years after the first in 2017, called Iconic Animals of Australia - With a Voice to Release Your Giant Potential Within. My books are now sold around the country.
I've had over 20 years of Life Coaching experience in Pastoral-Community work and have seen many lives transformed. My writing and art have launched me as a motivational speaker into Education, Community and Corporate sectors.
This year, my wife and I felt we needed to carve a niche for ourselves, calling our business 'Iconic Colours'. Our aim is to boost people's true colours and potential. We do this by applying strategies to inspire people’s creativity, productivity and dreams in my Talks and Online Art Tutorial Workshops.
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I've just finished a job for Moonee Valley Libraries supplying them with four 25 minute videos, titled "Paint Like Van Gogh - Family Art Workshop."
I have loved working with my family to create the videos for the Libraries. My eight year old helped with some story-telling in Episodes 1 and 2, and even my three-year-old twins in Episode three. My wife perfectly complements all I do as a co-producer and has always helped me to take new initiatives. With all the duress of COVID-19, these workshops are a great way to enhance family fun and bonding time together, with a strong morale-boosting inspirational flavour. So, if you need an Author-Artist, Guest Speaker with a difference at your School, Library or Organisation, perhaps with a fresh iconic theme of your choice, I would love to hear from you. I can zoom in! My talks and workshops are perfect to enhance a growth mindset and resilience. I also love helping with corporate bonding activities. |
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